Three men have been indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit cyberstalking that led to the murder of a Kansas City, Missouri, man in Independence in March 2018. Federal prosecutors said Lester E. Brown, 32 of Kansas City, Michael Young, 29 of Independence, and Ronell Pearson, 32 of Minneapolis, were charged in a three-count indictment by a federal grand jury last week.Court documents state the men deployed multiple GPS tracking devices from Nov. 1, 2017, to March 19, 2018, to cyberstalk Christopher A. Harris, who was shot to death in the 16600 block of East 28th Place in Independence. An official with the prosecutor’s office said the men allegedly deployed multiple GPS devices on vehicles used by Harris and his associates to track their locations. Harris was killed while dropping his daughter off at her mother’s home after taking the girl to dance class. Brown was originally arrested in connection with Harris’ death in 2018. At that time, prosecutors said the shooting was the result of several conflicts between Brown and Harris over rival marijuana distribution trafficking operations. The indictment unsealed Monday alleged the men sent threatening messages to Harris over social media that included photos of the GPS devices and demanded payment to Brown of $1,000 per month. Court documents said one message threatened Harris with, “Pay me, or I’m going to touch something deeper, close to you.”The suspects are accused of using a GPS device placed on Harris’ vehicle to track him as he drove his daughter home from dance class. Prosecutors said the conspirators shot multiple rounds into Harris’ vehicle while he shouted, “My daughter’s in the car! My daughter’s in the car!”Brown, Young and Pearson are all charged together in one count of conspiracy to commit cyberstalking resulting Harris’ death, and one count of aiding and abetting in the cyberstalking of Harris, resulting in his death. In addition, Brown is charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, specifically the Glock .45-caliber pistol used to kill Harris. Brown has previous felony convictions for receiving stolen property and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Prosecutors also noted the murder of Ryan Cobbins in connection with this case.Cobbins was reportedly a friend and associate of Harris. One of the social media threats reportedly sent to Harris said, “Man you…are gonna end up like Ryan.”The indictment states Brown was confronted by a mechanic after being found underneath an orange Camaro later sold to Cobbins before his death. Prosecutors said Brown was accused of impersonating a law enforcement officer to a mechanic who found a GPS tracking device underneath another vehicle owned by an associate of Harris.Cobbins was reported missing in October 2013 after a haircut appointment. A release from the prosecutor’s office said Harris paid Brown a $20,000 “ransom” for the return of Harris after Brown said he would act as a middleman with the kidnappers, and would arrange for Cobbins’ return.Cobbins was found dead as the result of multiple gunshot wounds on Dec. 31, 2014. He still had hairclips in his hair from the haircut appointment on the day he went missing. The prosecutor’s office said so far, no charges in the indictment in Harris’ death, are related to the murder of Cobbins.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —

Three men have been indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit cyberstalking that led to the murder of a Kansas City, Missouri, man in Independence in March 2018.

Federal prosecutors said Lester E. Brown, 32 of Kansas City, Michael Young, 29 of Independence, and Ronell Pearson, 32 of Minneapolis, were charged in a three-count indictment by a federal grand jury last week.

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Court documents state the men deployed multiple GPS tracking devices from Nov. 1, 2017, to March 19, 2018, to cyberstalk Christopher A. Harris, who was shot to death in the 16600 block of East 28th Place in Independence.

An official with the prosecutor’s office said the men allegedly deployed multiple GPS devices on vehicles used by Harris and his associates to track their locations.

Harris was killed while dropping his daughter off at her mother’s home after taking the girl to dance class.

The indictment unsealed Monday alleged the men sent threatening messages to Harris over social media that included photos of the GPS devices and demanded payment to Brown of $1,000 per month. Court documents said one message threatened Harris with, “Pay me, or I’m going to touch something deeper, close to you.”

The suspects are accused of using a GPS device placed on Harris’ vehicle to track him as he drove his daughter home from dance class. Prosecutors said the conspirators shot multiple rounds into Harris’ vehicle while he shouted, “My daughter’s in the car! My daughter’s in the car!”

Brown, Young and Pearson are all charged together in one count of conspiracy to commit cyberstalking resulting Harris’ death, and one count of aiding and abetting in the cyberstalking of Harris, resulting in his death.

In addition, Brown is charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, specifically the Glock .45-caliber pistol used to kill Harris. Brown has previous felony convictions for receiving stolen property and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Prosecutors also noted the murder of Ryan Cobbins in connection with this case.

Cobbins was reportedly a friend and associate of Harris.

One of the social media threats reportedly sent to Harris said, “Man you…are gonna end up like Ryan.”

The indictment states Brown was confronted by a mechanic after being found underneath an orange Camaro later sold to Cobbins before his death.

Prosecutors said Brown was accused of impersonating a law enforcement officer to a mechanic who found a GPS tracking device underneath another vehicle owned by an associate of Harris.

A release from the prosecutor’s office said Harris paid Brown a $20,000 “ransom” for the return of Harris after Brown said he would act as a middleman with the kidnappers, and would arrange for Cobbins’ return.

Cobbins was found dead as the result of multiple gunshot wounds on Dec. 31, 2014. He still had hairclips in his hair from the haircut appointment on the day he went missing.

The prosecutor’s office said so far, no charges in the indictment in Harris’ death, are related to the murder of Cobbins.